Home Gaming The Wonderful 101 review round up: more good news for the Wii U?

The Wonderful 101 review round up: more good news for the Wii U?

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wonderful 101

Oh look, another game for the Wii U! For a console with a “failing” game library, there seem to be a bunch of cool games for it. But will this one turn the tide or is the Wii U grasping at straws?

Reviews are coming in for Platinum’s The Wonderful 101, so let’s see what they had to say:

 

  • CVG: 7 – Lacks the mesmerising fluidity of Platinum’s other work, but The Wonderful 101 puts on a real show for the eyes all the same. Hack and slash connoisseurs with both the patience to learn a new way to play and a thirst for high-score chasing will be well-rewarded for their investment.
  • Eurogamer: 8 – The Wonderful 101 makes you feel nostalgia, not so much for the TV shows or games it references as for memories of waking up at 7am on the weekends to watch shows and spending the rest of the day acting out the heroics. That’s why the occasional intrusion of an adult tone is so discordant. This is a love letter to childhood innocence, to that age where truth and justice and awesome costumes seem almost real, as well as the coolest things in the world. In that light, picking at it seems churlish, because The Wonderful 101 doesn’t make you feel like a hero; it makes you feel like hundreds.
  • Game Reactor: 7 – 101’s got that Platinum flair yet it isn’t as finely-tuned. Shame.
  • GamesRadar: 3/5 – A new IP from Platinum with swagger and style is something gamers have wanted for Wii U for so long. But the reality is that its gameplay just doesn’t gel and numerous baffling design choices get in the way so as to render all the astonishing style moot. It just isn’t very fun. And ‘Mediocre 101’ isn’t good enough.
  • Game Spot: 8 – This is an ambitious, funny, and inventive game that’s keen to impress but slightly scrappy in its presentation, packed with ideas but is slightly confused about how to express all its abundant creativity. This might not be the Wii U’s killer app, but it’s a much-needed shot in the arm.
  • God is a Geek: 8 – As an exclusive, The Wonderful 101 is a real triumph for Nintendo, joining ZombiU and Pikmin 3 in showcasing just how cool a peripheral the GamePad truly is when used right. It might not always work as it should, but when it does it’s something quite extraordinary. The overall presentation is of such high quality, and there’s just so much heart in it, that The Wonderful 101 is an absolute must-buy for Wii U owners.
  • IGN: 7.4 – The Wonderful 101 is both a showcase for the amazing potential of the Wii U’s GamePad and for its pitfalls. It’s amazingly inventive and full of color and bright-eyed character, but its control problems are so persistent they’re unignorable. Even that doesn’t ruin what is otherwise a clever and adventurous action game, but The Wonderful 101 is kept from being as truly wonderful as it might have been.
  • Nintendo Insider: 92% – An energetic adventure throughout, with such charismatic charm it is easy to forget that this is an entirely new IP that suitably deserves a successive sequel in future. And for such undoubted quality, Platinum Games sheer talent in the genre remains unquestionable.
  • Nintendo Life: 9 – The Wonderful 101 can be overwhelming, and the initial impression can be that it’s simply bombarding the senses too much, confusing both the eyes and the thumbs. The key is to play at the right difficulty level and accept its insanity, work with its peculiar logic and remain open-minded to its mechanics. In return it delivers an exceptional experience in which no scenario is too outrageous, no enemy too exaggerated or no set-piece too excessive.
  • Video Gamer: 8 – The sense of fun is palpable throughout, the characters are mostly pretty likeable, and surprisingly the plot’s fairly absorbing. It helps that it’s been pretty sharply written too, full of excellently corny jokes and one liners.

So, it seems that the game may be confusing at first, but eventually becomes really cool and fun. I wonder if people will have the patience for it. I love seeing another awesome game coming to the Wii U, even if most people will just ignore it.

Last Updated: August 19, 2013

15 Comments

  1. FoxOneZA - X-Therminator

    August 19, 2013 at 13:08

    Finally a reason to switch on the Wii U.

    Reply

  2. FoxHoundR - NO LONGER TROLLING

    August 19, 2013 at 13:15

    They make games for the WiiU?

    Reply

    • Admiral Chief Zombie Slayer

      August 19, 2013 at 13:16

      Haha, you crazy man you

      Reply

      • RinceThisandbacktoreality

        August 19, 2013 at 14:26

        Was wondering where he’s been hiding!

        Reply

  3. Umar Kiiroi Senk?

    August 19, 2013 at 13:20

    I wish Plat would make an Infinite Space port for WiiU

    Reply

    • RinceThisandbacktoreality

      August 19, 2013 at 14:26

      Man you have your own troll! You named it yet?

      Reply

      • Umar Kiiroi Senk?

        August 19, 2013 at 14:32

        I’m thinking Betty or Carmalita…Does this mean I made it?

        Reply

        • RinceThisandbacktoreality

          August 19, 2013 at 14:35

          Mmm, I don’t think so. I had one, but I forgot it’s name! Strumpy or something similar.

          Reply

          • Umar Kiiroi Senk?

            August 19, 2013 at 14:37

            Aww bummer! I thought I made it to the top. and oh is this like a Rite of Passage? to have a Troll?

          • RinceThisandbacktoreality

            August 19, 2013 at 14:52

            Yes. If you post in forums and cannot say you have had a juvenile who thinks downvoting you is going to upset you in any way/universe or form, then you are nothing but a smear on the servers of time.

          • Umar Kiiroi Senk?

            August 19, 2013 at 15:01

            Nice, at least I am not a smear lol I guess they believe downvotes really affect us

          • RinceThisandbacktoreality

            August 19, 2013 at 15:22

            You mean they don’t affect you? When I see them I lob off a piece of flesh right then any there. In fact, I am only half an arm typing right now and these two sentences took 30 minutes to type…

          • FoxHoundR - NO LONGER TROLLING

            August 19, 2013 at 15:29

            I take my downvotes with a smile

          • RinceThisandbacktoreality

            August 19, 2013 at 15:33

            Then you must be smiling like a Cheshire cat 😉

  4. joey1013

    August 19, 2013 at 19:46

    Wow I guess this is all Wii U have to be happy about for a new game ha,ha. Man that game looks lame.

    Reply

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